The Truth Behind His Smiles
by Lyra Mae Rose
Summary: Tenma is always smiling around everyone, giving them courage and hope. So no one expected him to have very dark secrets. What will happen when they found out about it, tried to confront it, and also learn about his past? Warning for POSSIBLE words of abuse REWRITTEN from Ch. 1!
1. Where It All Began

Kariya lazily looked out the window from his seat. He watched as hundreds of small raindrops fell from the sky and made contact with the window. The teal-haired defender tried to look at their surroundings, but his efforts were in vain. The numerous raindrops were limiting his line of sight. Kariya gritted his teeth, remembering clearly of how they got into this mess.

It all started three days ago. The team was practicing like usual when Haruna told them they got a letter. Apparently, they received an invitation from a soccer team in Okinawa. They offered to play a friendly match with them there in three days.

Tenma, being the team captain, gladly accepted it. Endou and Haruna were also on board the idea right away. After that, the team eventually agreed one by one. The managers were also excited.

They were all going, except for Kidou. He said that he already had plans on that day, so he wasn't able to go. After confirming the team's approval, Haruna quickly wrote a letter back to the Okinawa team. She told them that they approved and will be there.

The match started earlier this morning. The Okinawa team was strong. They had some pretty strong techniques and also very talented players. The goalkeeper even managed to stop Tsurugi's Death Sword without breaking a sweat. Their tactics were also strong. So strong, Double Wing had to be evolved into Double Wing V2 to get past it.

Eventually, Raimon won with the score of 3-2. It was a close one, though. If Tenma, Shindou and Tsurugi didn't do a shoot chain in the last few minutes, it would've been a draw. And if that happened, the Okinawa players would've won. The team could tell that they were better at penalties than they are. After saying their goodbyes, the team finally head back to Inazuma Town.

But after about 5 minutes, rain showed up. It poured down really hard. Fog also materialized out of nowhere, making it extremely hard to see. Because of that, they were now lost. To avoid any accidents, Furukabu drove the caravan to the side of the road. Now, they were at the side of the road that's surrounded by trees and more trees. And that was how they got into this mess.

Kariya frowned, "Coach, where are we exactly?"

Endou, who was discussing something with Haruna, halted and turned to him. "I don't know, Kariya. I'm trying to find out, please be patient." He said bluntly. The latter stopped looking around and sat down, "I am patient. It's just that I can only see a road surrounded by trees," he shook his head and shrugged, "No buildings, houses or any sort."

Beside him, Hikaru anxiously nodded. "It's also getting dark." In front of them, Shinsuke rubbed his hands together and added, "And cold."

Endou sighed. Not only the rain made it hard to see, it also made the temperature drop. The coach eyed the other players. Most of them were shivering and even the managers were snuggled together to make themselves warm.

The only ones who weren't affected were Shindou, Tsurugi and Tenma. Tenma was raised here, so it's natural that's he's unaffected. For the other two, it's unknown. Maybe they're used to it? Or maybe they were good at handling it? Whatever it is, the three of them were the only ones who didn't shiver.

Endou narrowed his eyes and turned to Haruna, "Are there any blankets?" The advisor shook her head sadly, "…No. It was supposed to be a quick trip, so I didn't bring any."

The coach gritted his teeth. At this rate…

"Coach Endou."

Upon hearing his name, Endou blinked and turned towards a certain midfielder. "What is it, Tenma?"

The latter looked slightly hesitant, "Um, do we need to take shelter?" the brunet nervously asked. He winced when he got an angry "OF COURSE!" from almost everyone. Well, he can't blame them though. In their current situation, that was a really dumb question. It was like asking, "Do we need an umbrella?" in the middle of a storm.

Endou, on the other hand, blinked in confusion. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Tenma was still tense from the glares by his friends, but he eventually spoke. "F-Fortunately my house is not that far away. We can just take shelter there until the rain stops." The brunet said, pointing his finger to the right.

Shinsuke blinked. "Really, Tenma?" The midfielder turned to his friend and nodded. "Yep!" he grinned cheerfully. For a while, Shinsuke didn't do anything and just stared at him. But after that, he beamed excitedly and hugged the brunet. Tenma didn't expect that reaction, so he gasped in surprise.

"Thanks, Tenma!" the defender said. Tenma stared at his friend, slightly confused. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Nishiki grinning behind him. "Now, that's what I'm talking about! Thanks, Tenma!"

After that, the other players started thanking Tenma too. Tenma still didn't know why they were thanking him, but he let it be. In the back, Aoi and the managers sighed in relief while Endou just grinned. At least they didn't have to worry about shelter anymore.

Tsurugi, however, didn't look as happy. "Are you sure, Tenma?"

The midfielder heard him and turned around. He tilted his head slightly to the right, "About what?" Shindou glanced at Tsurugi and slowly caught on. "Will your parents mind us staying?"

That made Tenma blink. The brunet's eyes were shaky and he turned to the floor. The striker and ex-captain gasped slightly. They didn't expect that reaction. "Tenma?"

Tenma's bangs covered his eyes, so they didn't have a clear view of it. But, they managed to get a glimpse of it filled with unshed tears. That made Tsurugi and Shindou even more concerned.

"Nah, I think they won't mind." The brunet still looked sad, but he shook his head. His gaze slowly turned back to his two friends. He grinned, but not as cheerfully.

Before Tsurugi and Shindou had the chance to answer though, Tenma already turned to Endou. He smiled, "Is it OK, Coach Endou?"

Endou, in response, smiled widely. "Of course! Let's get going!"


	2. On The Way There

"Oh!" Tenma said. "I have to tell them that we're coming!" He quickly pulled out his green phone from his lower left pocket.

Out of curiosity, Hikaru peeked behind the brunet from his seat. He watched as Tenma pushed some numbers and dialed it. "Who are you calling, Tenma?" he asked.

Tenma turned around and winked, "Someone who's in charge of the house. I need to tell them to-" 'open the gates.' was what he wanted to say. But, he didn't. Instead, the brunet blinked and averted his gaze over to his phone.

Hikaru was confused from his sudden halt. He was about to ask Tenma what's wrong when the midfielder spoke. "Oh, hi…it's me, Tenma!"

…Turns out, Tenma halted because the number he dialed just answered. Hikaru sweat-dropped, "O-Oh, so that's why."

But, the forward still had a question. "Someone who's in charge of the house? Who?" Hikaru mumbled in confusion. He wanted to ask, but Tenma was currently talking to that 'someone'. He also thought that it was rude to disturb other people's conversations. Long story short, Hikaru was just too kind and too thoughtful.

Having no other options, the first-year turned to Shinsuke, hoping that he knew the answer. The small defender noticed him, but he shrugged and shook his head. He didn't know either.

"-…Okay, we'll be there in 5 minutes. See you!"

Both of them focused back on Tenma. He just finished talking to 'someone'. But, something that Tenma said caught their attention. They were about to question the brunet when Nishiki suddenly burst behind them. The sudden approach made the first-years scream in shock.

"5 MINUTES? Tenma, did you hear what you just said?" Nishiki yelled. Tenma blinked at his senior.

"Y-Yeah. Is there a problem, Nishiki-senpai?" he asked innocently. "You do want to get out of here soon, right?"

Nishiki's eyebrow twitched, "T-That's right, but still…! 5 minutes is just too fast!"

"Oh, so you want to go slower?"

"Wha-No! I want to go faster!"

"But, you said that 5 minutes is too fast."

"Yes! I-I mean, no! I mean…! ARGH!" Nishiki yelled in frustration. " I meant that it's not possible…!" Everyone sweat-dropped at the duo's awkward conversation. But, still. Nishiki should've explained it a little better.

Tenma was even more confused. He didn't have the slightest idea about where this 'conversation' was going. "Not possible? What do you mean, Nishiki-senpai?"

Nishiki sighed deeply. "Just look at our situation!" The second-year spread his arms wide.

"The rain's getting harder and the fog's getting thicker! That just made our limited vision even more limited!" Tenma had a feeling that sentence could be corrected, but he let it be. This was Nishiki after all.

"It's all right, Nishiki-senpai," Tenma said reassuringly. "I know the way. I was raised here, after all." He winked at the senior in front of him. The latter just stared at him dumbfounded.

Tenma smiled once more and stood up. The brunet walked over to the front, where Furukabu was. Apparently, the driver was trying in vain to get a better view of the road. Tenma sighed, "Furukabu-san."

Furukabu blinked when he heard his name and turned around. "Oh, Tenma-kun! What is it?" Tenma's eyes softened, "How about if we go to my house? We can take shelter there." The old driver smiled widely. "Really?"

"Yeah," the brunet nodded. "It's fine." Furukabu sighed in relief. He then gripped the steering wheel, "All right, then! Where's your house, Tenma-kun?" The latter chuckled at his behavior and bend forward. "OK, my house is at-"

**~TTBHS~**

At the back of the caravan, the team was getting excited. It was obvious that they didn't want to stay here any longer. No, they weren't talking about Okinawa. That was actually fine. It was also a lot of fun. They just didn't enjoy the rain. Not to mention, the fog and cold air with it. Right now, everyone just wanted to go somewhere that has none of those things.

"I wonder what Tenma's house looks like." Hikaru said. He turned to the small defender beside him, "Shinsuke, have you been there before?"

Shinsuke shook his head. "No, I haven't," he turned around to ask a certain manager. "How about you, Aoi?" The blue-haired manager frowned, shaking her head gently. "Me neither."

Shinsuke was shocked to hear that, "EH?! But, you and Tenma are childhood friends, right?" A small smile slowly formed on Aoi's lips and she chuckled.

"We are, but I met him at Inazuma Town," she turned to the window. The manager had a far-away look on her face, "Tenma did tell me that he was from Okinawa, though."

Shinsuke and Hikaru looked at each other and shrugged. "So, it'll be the first time for all of us then."

Not far away, Tsurugi and Shindou were busy observing Tenma. After seeing his reaction to their questions, it was a pretty understandable thing to do. "But, why?" Shindou whispered. "I've never seen him like that before." Tsurugi narrowed his eyes. It was a surprise for both of them. They didn't expect him to react that way, not at all.

Tenma was the happy-go-lucky type of person. He would always cheer everyone up and he would always motivate the team. And, he would always smile and laugh. He would always listen to his friends. That's who Tenma really was, or so they thought.

"Maybe he's always like that." The navy-haired forward said. Shindou blinked at his statement, "What do you mean?"

"Maybe he's been like that all the time," Tsurugi closed his eyes. "…But he never did it in front of us," There was a hint of sadness, regret and guilt in the forward's tone. Shindou's eyes widened. "Now that you think of it…"

CLAP!

Suddenly, there was a 'clap' sound. Everyone's heads turned around to the front, where the sound came from which is Endou.

"All right, guys! Go back to your seats, we're getting out of here!" That lifted everyone's spirits. They were finally getting out of this weather! Everyone quickly went back to their seats and fastened their seatbelts.

Tenma also went to his seat after telling Furukabu his home's locations. He also told him how to get out of here fast. Furukabu was a little irritated that Tenma didn't tell this sooner, but he just shrugged. Meh, what can he do about it?

"Everyone, you already fastened your seatbelts right?" Furukabu glanced at the back. In response, Endou gave him a thumbs-up. The driver nodded and positioned the handbrake beside him into 'Release'.

"Here we go!" Furukabu pushed down the accelerator and swiftly turned the wheel to the right. As a result, the caravan also swiftly turned to the right and onto the road.

It had a bumpy touchdown with the still slippery road, but it kept driving forward. Everyone literally braced for impact and gripped their armrests tighter. The caravan was, in their opinion, at the speed of light.

"F-Fast!" Hayami managed to say. He was gripping his armrests so tight, it made his knuckles pale. "B-Be careful, Furukabu-san! The road's slippery!"

The mentioned driver turned one eye to the rearview mirror and winked at the midfielder. "It's fine, it's fine! I know the way! We'll be at Tenma-kun's house in a flash!" Hayami pouted at him, "It doesn't have to be in a flash! It can be in an hour, you know!" The red-haired boy complained.

"Hey, it's not that bad," Hamano said beside him. "Besides, if we wait an hour we'll be freezing!"

In the front, Furukabu focused on the road. His eyes went from left to right, searching for a certain road. After a minute or two, he finally saw it. There was another road in the right, meaning that this was the junction Tenma told him.

"OK! Guys, we'll be going a little faster now, get ready!" Furukabu smiled mischievously at the second road. The team gulped, bracing for the increase of speed. Tenma, however, just chuckled at him. Maybe it really was a bad thing for him to tell Furukabu that shortcut, after all.

The brunet glanced at his teammates. Most of them were wide-eyed and a little scared of what's to come. Tenma felt a little sorry for them, but he shook his head.

_"It'll be fine, I'm sure I won't regret it!"_

Furukabu turned the wheel hard to the right and pushed the accelerator even more.

**5 minutes later,**

_"Yep, I really regret it,"_

After a lot of slippery turns, the caravan finally stopped in front of a tall gate. Inside, everyone was panting hard. They looked like they just ran around the field 20 times. But no, that's not the cause.

It turned out that Furukabu drove the caravan with the speed of light. No…it was way more than that. It felt like being pulled by a rocket at top speed.

"N-Never *hah* do that again…! *hah* Never again!" Kurama said between his breaths.

Kariya nodded, "I-I agree…" Furukabu just laughed sheepishly.

"W-Where are we?" Hikaru asked.

Sangoku looked around, "Good question." All they saw was a really tall gate in front of them. There were also trees on both left and right.

Tenma mentally groaned. He told them to open the gates on time! Why aren't the gates open yet? The brunet was about to call them again when the gates suddenly opened. Everyone gasped at the sudden movement, while Tenma sighed in relief.

"OK, let's go in."


	3. Welcome

Furukabu drove the caravan forward. Gasps of awe echoed inside. Endou glanced at the back and chuckled. Everyone's jaws, excluding Tenma and Tsurugi, dropped. Tenma's house wasn't just a house; it was a huge grand mansion! It was even bigger than Shindou's, Kirino thought.

It was almost twice the size of the Raimon school building. The front garden alone was at least 2 acres. It had every single flower in it, excluding the poisonous ones of course. There was a tall fountain in front of the main entrance. It had an underground garage that can fit 20 cars. There's a guesthouse that's half the size of the main house – basically it's amazing!

"S-Sugoi, Tenma! Your house is…huge!" Shinsuke said. Tenma blinked at his friend's reaction. He didn't think it was amazing. To him, it's just an average-sized house.

Furukabu halted the caravan stopped in front of the main entrance. He pushed the button that made the door swing open. Tenma got out – to be précised, he bounced out – first and the rest of the team, including Endou and the managers followed.

"So, this is Tenma-kun's house," Kariya said, looking around the exterior. "It's not a house, it's a modern palace!" Hayami said, flabbergasted. Tenma sweat-dropped, "Um, it's just a mansion?" he said as a matter of fact.

Hikaru blinked, and turned to Tenma. "Just a mansion? Tenma, this is-" Hikaru suddenly faltered, and seemed surprised. Kariya noticed, "Kageyama?" He saw that Hikaru was staring at something in concern. The team also saw this and followed his line of sight.

Tenma was staring at the door. But, it wasn't normal staring. He seemed…hesitant. And, dare they say this, scared. It was like he's scared of something inside. This of course worried the team. The last time they saw Tenma like this, it was when he doubted the revolution. But, his expression now was much worse and more concerning.

Tsurugi narrowed his eyes. "Ten-"

But before he could continue, Tenma turned around and grinned widely. "Welcome to my house!" he said, spreading his arms. The team stared at him dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, he seemed so miserable. But now? It's the total opposite. 'It's like he's putting a fake smile just for us,' Shindou thought, eyes narrowing.

Endou saw this but smiled cheerfully. "Hey, it's raining, remember? We need to get inside," The team glanced at their coach, surprised. It seemed that they were spacing out for quite a while. "Y-Yeah," Hikaru said reluctantly.

Tenma stared at them, "Guys? Are you OK?" Tsurugi stared at the brunet, 'We should ask you the same thing,' but he didn't tell him. He, along with everyone else, just nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we're just admiring your house," Shindou lied. Tenma tilted his head. "Admiring? There's nothing to admire for," Everyone fell anime-style.

"N-Nothing to admire, he said," Kariya stood up, clutching his head.

"T-Tenma…" Aoi sweat-dropped.

"Tenma, are you really that dense?" Midori stared at the brunette. Tenma, oblivious to what he just said, was even more confused. "Dense?"

Haruna put both of her hands in front of her chest to soothe the atmosphere. "Hey, what about we go inside? The rain's getting harder, you know," Everyone blinked, and then turned their heads towards the outside.

She was right; the rain was getting harder. It seemed that they were too focused on their conversation, that they just didn't notice it at all. "You're right, let's all go inside and take shelter!" Tenma said. The team nodded, and walked towards the door.

Tenma pushed it and it slowly opened. The light from the inside was almost blinding, they had to cover their eyes. When it was not so bright anymore, everyone scanned their surroundings. The first thing they noticed were these two curved staircases heading to the second floor. Then, a red carpet led the way to the staircase. There were 2 long hallways at both sides of the room and a chandelier hanging at the top.

"Welcome," said two voices. The team shouted from shock, and then sighed in relief when they saw 2 people standing beside them.

They seemed to be servants of the home. One was a maid; she had long brown wavy hair and big brown eyes. She also wore a beautiful maid dress. The other was a butler; he had straight black hair and grey eyes. He wore glasses and also a butler uniform.

"Welcome home, Tenma-sama. And, also his friends and coach," said the butler, slightly bowing with his right hand folded across his chest. "My name's Hitoshi Kenta, the head butler for the Matsukaze manor," Then, the maid stepped forward. "And my name is Natsuki Karin. I'm the main maid for the manor. We hope you enjoy your stay here," she said.

"I-It's our pleasure! Please take care of us! I'm Nishizono Shinsuke!" said Shinsuke bowing down as well. Tenma laughed, he expected that to happen. Karin laughed too, "I know, you're one of the defenders right?" Shinsuke blinked once, twice. "H-How did you know?"

Karin's gaze softened, "Tenma-sama told me about you," Shinsuke was confused for a second but then beamed. Karin then turned to face the team. "He told me about all of you,"

Everyone blinked. Then, Karin pointed a finger to each and every one of their guests. And not just the players, but she also knew about Endou and the managers. She told them their names, and also each player's position. She even told them the player's hissatsu techniques, down to the very last detail. Tenma blushed, not liking where this was going. "Uh, K-Karin! You can st-"

"Tenma-sama was so excited to tell me about his new friends. I never heard him that excited and happy before,"

"Karin," Now, it was Kenta's turn to try and stop her. He knew where this was going too, and he didn't like it one bit.

"I'm very grateful to all of you. You managed to distract Tenma-sama from his cut-" That's it. Tenma can't hold back any longer.

_"Karin,"_

Everyone blinked; Tenma's voice was low, dangerously low. He put a hand on her shoulder, and gripped it lightly. Karin, realizing what she just said, gasped and put both of her hands to her mouth. The team, mainly Tsurugi and Shindou, was confused.

'_You managed to distract Tenma-sama from his cut-'_

Cut? It sounded like there was more to that, Shindou thought. Cut…. Cut…. Cut…ting…. Cutting? We distracted Tenma from his cutting? What's cut-

Oh.

Before anyone could say anything though, Tenma cut them all off. "Sorry, guys. Karin sometimes gets a little too excited. Right, Karin?" He looked over to her, who nodded in response.

"Yes, I'm so sorry," Tenma put his hand off her shoulder and cheered her up. "Hey, it's okay. No harm done," Karin smiled in relief. Tenma smiled back, but his smile suddenly faltered.

'_Not yet anyway_'

The team, on the other hand, was staring at them in concern. They silently vowed to talk with either one of them later. Karin gazed the team, and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you all in person," Endou laughed cheerfully like usual,

"No, the pleasure is ours! Thanks for letting us stay," Tenma then remembered the reason they're here, and walked towards Kenta. "We're going to be here until the rain stops. How long will it take?" he said. Kenta made a thinking pose, and frowned.

"The rain's not going to stop until tomorrow. You all have to stay here for the night," explained Kenta to the team. To Tenma, Kenta and Karin's surprise, everyone actually looked pretty happy, especially the first-years.

Shinsuke, Hikaru and Kariya beamed, then went to Kenta. The trio were literally 1,5 inches from his face. "Really?" they all said, smiling widely. Kenta looked shocked, who wouldn't when you suddenly have 3 people inches from your face? "Y-Yeah," he managed to say. A second later, the trio jumped in the air, cheering the whole time.

The seniors from the team sweat-dropped. Their juniors, excluding Tsurugi, were so childish sometimes. The girls were having a hard time to contain their laughter and Endou looked just like the time he ate Natsumi's food. 'Bear with it, it'll work out somehow," he said that over and over in his mind. Tenma laughed and held his stomach; the sight of Kenta sighing in relief was very amusing.

When the commotion was over and the first-years finally calmed down, Endou cleared his throat and stepped forward, so that he could be in front of the team. "OK, everyone! We'll stay here for the night, and go home tomorrow. Is that a problem?" he said.

"No, Coach!"

Endou nodded, "Very well! Remember, behave!" Kariya smiled and closed his eyes; he then put his hands in the air mockingly. "When are we not?" Kirino and the managers sweat-dropped. 'Uh, every time?'

"Hey, Tenma! Can we have a look around later?" Shinsuke said to the brunet. Nishiki heard, and averted his gaze towards the duo. Shinsuke was staring expectantly towards Tenma.

The latter blinked, "Huh? S-Sure," Shinsuke smiled and hugged him, "Yay, thanks Tenma!" Tenma was still surprised, but he smiled.

Nishiki grinned, then something clicked in his head that made him frown. "No offense, but I think it'll take forever to look around this house," he said, looking around. Tenma heard it, and looked at his senior.

Nishiki looked disappointed. Tenma felt sorry for him and shook his head, "Actually, no. It'll only take an hour at most, Nishiki-senpai,"

Said guy blinked, and smiled widely. "Really? Then, let's go now!" he said, running towards one of the hallways. But, something tugged his shirt and pulled him back. The midfielder was surprised; it made him land on his butt. "O-Ouch,"

He then looked behind him to see who done that, and saw Midori glaring at him. "Hey, Midori! What was that for!?" he shouted to the redhead. Midori crossed her arms; she was obviously annoyed at him. "This is not your house, you idiot! Ask Tenma first!"

Karin smiled at the duo. 'They really do want to look around, do they?'


	4. Our Rooms

**A/N: Well, next chapter! Thank you for all of your advices, guys! I mean it! Every single review that you sent me were all very helpful, so I thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I, Lyra M. R, hereby disclaim Inazuma Eleven. Except my OCs!**

* * *

><p>Kenta turned to Karin. They stared at each other and nodded. "Now, we will show you to your rooms. Karin will show the girl's room, while I will show you your room." Kenta said, walking towards the boys while Karin walked towards the girls. Everyone nodded and went their separate ways.<p>

"I'll be showing you the way to your room. Would you like me to carry your bags for you?" Karin clapped her hands together. The girls blinked, and shook their heads.

"No, we're fine. Thank you though," said Haruna, smiling sheepishly. Karin chuckled, and turned to one of the hallways. She gestured the girls to follow, so they did. They were halfway there when the girls started looking around, admiring every single thing.

"_Sugoi ne_, I never knew Tenma lived here." Aoi was gaping; this house was like a modern palace. Sure Tenma's her childhood friend and all, but he never really talked about his past. And every time Aoi asked him, he just changed the subject. Aoi also happened to notice that Tenma winced every time she brought the topic up. He always smiled like nothing happened after that, but she knew there was something. The question is, what?

Akane, as usual, started taking pictures of everything with her camera. "If you don't mind, can I take pictures? I can't hold back." she said to Karin. Midori sweat-dropped at her. "You know, I'm starting to wonder just how much space you have in that camera." she sighed. Akane didn't bother to look at Midori, but she answered anyway. "Unlimited, so I can take as many pictures as I want." Midori's eyes widened, "You have THAT much!?" Karin giggled.

"So, how long have you known Tenma-sama?"

Midori decided to ignore Akane's answer – because it's impossible – and glanced at Karin. She put her hand on her head, scratching it slightly. "Um, I've known him since middle school, so not that long." Midori thought out loud, putting her hands behind her head. She looked towards Akane, still taking pictures. To her own surprise, Midori was starting to believe Akane's answer. She didn't recall seeing Akane change or replace her camera's memory.

As if she heard Midori's thoughts, Akane paused and smiled at her. Then, she turned to Karin. "Me too, we met him when we all joined the soccer club." Karin smiled, and then turned to Haruna. It seemed like she didn't hear Karin's question, as she was dazed looking through the window. Even though it's raining, it just seemed so…peaceful.

Karin giggled, looking at the older girl's expression. "Haruna-san." It seemed like she heard her; because Haruna turned around so fast she could've snapped her neck. "Y-YES?" Haruna was tensed, acting like when she was in middle school.

"I said, how long have you known Tenma-sama?" Haruna's face slowly softened, sighing in relief. She grinned sheepishly, "I was the first person he met at middle school. He was looking for the soccer club, so I showed him the way," Karin laughed. '_Of course searching for the soccer club will be the first thing Tenma-sama would've done'._

Finally, Karin turned to Aoi. The blue-haired girl smiled and looked to the ceilings, lost in thought. "I've known him since he moved to Raimon. We're childhood friends." Aoi said, winking while putting her hands behind her back. Karin's smile faltered, and her eyes widened. Memories of the past came rushing into her mind.

_"Get out of my sight, you worthless scum!"_

_"You don't have to do this, Tenma-sama!"_

_"I'll be fine, I'll just go to Raimon! I'll get over it,"_

"Karin-san? Are you okay?" Aoi said, slightly worried. Karin didn't respond so it made Aoi even more worried. She put her hand on Karin's shoulder, "Karin-san?" Aoi said one more time. Karin went back to reality, and looked to Aoi's concerned face.

Karin smiled, "Fine, why do you ask?" she said, although she already knew the answer. "You were spacing out for a while there," Midori said, her hand on her hip.

Karin laughed nervously, scratching her cheek. She didn't want to remember the reason why Tenma moved. It was a really horrible memory. "O-Oh, I see. Sorry."

Akane smiled brightly, "It's fine! Don't worry," The second she said that, she went back to taking pictures. This time though, she was taking a picture with the speed of light. "A-Akane…" Midori said, sweat-dropping at her. Everyone laughed, while Karin just blinked and laughed as well.

"We're almost there." Karin said. That was enough to get everyone's attention. They continued straight ahead along the hallway. Nothing much happened after that. Well if you define 'Nothing much' by everyone, minus Karin running around like kids in the candy store, then yes. Nothing much happened.

It wasn't long until they are in front of a tall door. It was as tall as the wall. "You four will be staying here for tonight," Karin said. "Tenma-sama told me to make your room simple and comfortable. I hope you'll like it," She then opened the door. The girls stared at the room for a second, then their eyes sparkled. "W-WOW!"

The room had 4 large queen-size canopy beds, a huge bathroom and a spacious walk-in closet. There were 2 bed stands beside every bed, each with a medium-sized lamp. There was also a very large window that took up an entire wall. The remote-controlled curtains revealed a stunning view of the front garden. The lights were beautiful LED lights, changing its color every 2 minutes. Beside the window, there was a large TV. In front of it, there were 5 beanbags and a small cute table.

Midori immediately jumped into one of the beds, slumping into the comfort of the soft pillows. "Ahh, I can definitely live with this." Akane started taking pictures of every nook and cranny, not missing a single thing. Aoi stared inside the walk-in closet in awe, she couldn't believe how much space it contained! '_This can have all of Raimon students' clothes and still have space for more!_' she thought. And Haruna ran around the bathroom, scanning the bathtub and Jacuzzi. That's right, a Jacuzzi.

Karin laughed at the hectic scene. "Is it suitable? Or do we need to make a few more adjustments?" Midori's eyes were wide, and then she sat up and waved her hands.

"N-No! This is more than enough! " She said, frantically. Karin sighed in relief, "What do you think, Midori-san?" The latter didn't expect that. She glanced around the room, searching for an answer. "It's beautiful," Midori smiled widely. _'If Nishiki was here he would've teased me for sure,'_ she thought. _'But right now, I don't care.'_

"Really? I'm glad!" Karin smiled, "Well, I'll leave you four alone for now. If you need me, there's a button right there. So, all you need to do is press that button and I'll be here." She pointed to a white button right next to each of their beds, then went to the door.

"Thank you, Karin-san!" said a voice. Karin was shocked, and then turned around. It was Aoi who thanked her; she was obviously beaming with joy. Karin smiled "It's my pleasure," Then, she exited the room and closed the door. On the other side, Karin stood lost in thought. Her bangs covered her eyes and she frowned.

_'You left me no choice, Tenma. I'll just have to punish you'_

Karin sighed deeply and shook her head. "Hopefully Master comes home late tonight." she muttered. Then, she walked down the opposite way from the main entrance, unconsciously balling her fists.

**~TTBHS~**

Meanwhile, the boys were walking down a different hallway. Most of the first years, like the girls, were admiring every single thing. Some of the seniors were looking around too, just not as fast as their juniors.

While the others were admiring the hallway, Tsurugi and Shindou were focused on Tenma. Ever since they saw his behavior when they arrived and after hearing Karin's words, both of them started to watch the brunet from a distance. They can't see his face though; Tenma was walking in front of them. Tsurugi narrowed his eyes while Shindou just sighed.

Endou noticed the duo's worried stares at Tenma and smiled slightly. '_They really do remind me of Kidou and Gouenji,_'

"Tenma, you never told us that you live in a mansion!" Endou averted his gaze towards the one who said that. It turned out to be Hikaru, who was beaming at Tenma. The latter wasn't expecting that question, but he quickly gained his composure. "Y-You never asked."

"…."

"…."

"O-Oh, yeah."

The team fell anime-style, while Hikaru just laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Kenta glanced at the back and smiled at the scene, "So, Tenma-sama. How are you? It's been a while since the last time you called."

"Yeah, I was wrapped up with a few things. So, I didn't really have the time to call you." Tenma answered, smiling sadly. Everyone frowned, looking away with guilt.

The brunet saw this and tried to lighten the mood. "But, it was worth it!" He grinned, hoping it will make them feel better. It seemed to work, as the others slowly smiled back. Kenta chuckled. "Hmm, I see," He then realized that they were near their destination. "Everyone, we're almost there." Kenta told the team.

After about 2 minutes, they stopped in front of a tall door. "This is where you will be staying. I sincerely hope it's suitable." Kenta said, placing his right hand on his chest. Kariya sweat-dropped at the butler, "You don't need to be so formal, you know." he said. His answer was Kenta glaring at him with cold eyes; it was enough to make the teal-haired defender shivering with fear.

"J-Just kidding! Don't you know a sense of humor?" The first years sweat-dropped at him. Kenta ignored him, and opened the door. Just like the girls, the team was speechless. Well, until Hikaru and Shinsuke started beaming, "_S-SUGOI_!"

The room was similar to the girl's room, but this one had 16 beds.. There were 2 bathrooms, each with 5 showers and 1 Jacuzzi. There was also a large TV, with 10 colorful beanbags. There was a large walk-in closet too. But this one was a little bigger than the girl's closet. The lights were LED lights, changing to blue, green, yellow or white every 2 minutes. And, finally there's a large window at the back. It was thrice the size of the girl's room.

Just like the girls, everyone started to look at everything. The first years, excluding Tsurugi, jumped to the beds. The second years stared at the bathrooms, while the third years were just speechless. And Endou was scanning the walk-in closet.

"I-I will respect Tenma a lot more after this." Kurumada said, with his mouth agape.

"Me too." Amagi joined. Tenma heard this and was shocked. "Y-you don't need to do that, Senpai!"

Ignoring their conversation, Tsurugi scanned the room. He counted the beds and realized something. "Wait." he said. It seemed he got Shindou's attention as well. "What's wrong, Tsurugi?" The navy-haired forward turned to Shindou and frowned.

"There are 16 beds, but there's 17 of us. We need one more bed." Shindou blinked, he then started to count the beds himself. "You're right, we need another bed," he nodded. "Nope, 16 beds are enough," Tenma said out of nowhere, surprising the duo.

"W-When did you-"

"I pay attention, you know."

"I thought you were talking to Kurumada-san and Amagi-san."

"They started to look around after that."

"You have sharp hearing, Tenma."

"You just knew?"

Both of them sweat-dropped at the brunet. Tsurugi coughed, getting their attention. "Tenma. There are 17 of us, including Coach Endou. It's not enough." Tenma tilted his head, "Really?" The brunet counted all of his teammates and his coach.

"14, 15, 16…Mou, Tsurugi! It's enough!" Tenma pouted at his friend. Tsurugi shook his head, "You didn't count yourself." Shindou nodded, supporting Tsurugi's statement. The midfielder stared at them for a second, and then he put his right fist onto his palm. "Oh yeah, I forgot." Both of them fell anime-style.

"H-How did you forget yourself?" Shindou asked, getting up from the floor. Tenma scratched the back of his head nervously, "Hehe, that's cause I'm not going to sleep here."

Apparently, that got everyone's attention. The team stared at their captain, who tensed under everyone's stare. Tenma then felt something tug his jersey. He turned to Shinsuke, who was tugging his shirt like a kid. "Eh~? Why, Tenma?" Shinsuke whined at his best friend. Hikaru did the same, while Kariya just stared at the two. "You guys…"

The brunet was surprised. Then, he smiled sadly. "I just miss my room, that's all." he said. "B-But still…!" Shinsuke pouted, thinking of a reason why Tenma should stay. Not far away from the two, Kenta narrowed his eyes.

_'That's obviously a lie.'_ he thought. Unknown to him, Tsurugi and Shindou also thought of the same thing. "There's another reason." Shindou whispered to Tsurugi, who nodded. "Why isn't he telling us?" he narrowed his eyes. Endou, who was watching the scene from afar, turned to the window. He noted that it was getting dark outside, which means…

CLAP!

There was a sound of hands clapping. The team turned to Endou, who did that to get everyone's attention. "It's getting late, we should change our clothes," Kenta blinked and turned to his watch. "He's right. Dinner will be held in 5 minutes, please be ready by then." he explained. The team blinked, "Dinner?"

"Yep! When you've changed your clothes, just go to the dining hall." Tenma put Shinsuke's hands of his jersey. The small defender pouted, "But, I still think Tenma should stay here," Tenma smiled sadly at him then he patted his friend's head. "I'll see you at dinner, OK?" Shinsuke hesitantly nodded. Tenma looked satisfied and walked to the door. "See you there!" he said to his team before finally exiting the room.

Everyone was still staring at the door sadly, before Kenta coughed. "Next time, please don't ask Tenma-sama that question." he coldly said. Endou narrowed his eyes, "But why didn't Tenma just stay here? Is it a family rule or something?" the brunet asked. Kenta didn't answer the coach; he just glared at him angrily.

The team sweat-dropped at the adult's stare-off. Endou was daring Kenta to answer while Kenta was mentally telling Endou to back off. Neither was giving up. The stare-off lasted for 5 more minutes, until Kenta closed his eyes and sighed.

"That's none of your business," he then turned to the team, "When you're done changing, just press that button near your beds. I'll come back and lead you to the dining hall." After he said that Kenta exited the room, leaving a confused team with their suspicious coach alone.

"…"

"U-Um, should we change our clothes?"

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading 'till the very end. You can review or PM me for suggestions, advice, ideas, etc. I'll have the next chapter published next week. Until then, see you!:3**


	5. Dinner's Ready

**Sorry for the wait, I was on vacation :3**

**Disclaimer : I disclaim! **

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><p>Tenma walked along the hallway. His steps were slow. The brunet's expression was plain. His blue eyes were focused on the front, but sometimes they would switch to the side.<p>

"It's been a while since I've come here." the brunet said. A small smile formed on his face. He kept walking slowly, when suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to the right and Tenma's eyes widened.

It was a large family portrait. There were three people standing in front of a mansion. On the left side, a man was standing proudly. He had straight brown hair, with dark blue eyes. He seemed to be around 20 years old. The man wore a dark brown tuxedo, with a red tie. He also wore black shoes. It was the classic formal attire.

On the right side, there was a woman. She had light brown hair, with light blue eyes. Her hair was slightly swirly like the wind. She wore a light green gown with long sleeves. She didn't wear many accessories, just a plain pearl necklace and earrings. She seemed to be around 20 too, although she looked slightly younger than the man beside her.

Both of them were gripping the back of a big golden chair. There was a young boy sitting on it. The boy had dark brown swirly hair, similar to the woman behind him. He also had big blue eyes. The color was a combination of dark and light blue. The child wore a yellow long-sleeve shirt. On top of it was a red T-shirt. He wore dark blue jeans on the bottom with green shoes. Compared to the adults behind him, it was a casual everyday outfit.

The three of them were smiling. They looked like a happy family.

Tenma's fists balled and he gritted his teeth. His eyes started fill with tears, but he held it in. He shook his head, remembering bits and pieces of the day the portrait was taken.

_"Hurry up, Tenma! We can't wait forever." the woman said. Hearing his name, Tenma smiled and approached the woman. "Yes, Mom!"_

_Tenma's mother smiled, she then put her hand on top of a chair next to her. "Sit here and smile, okay?" she said. Tenma's smile widened and he nodded with excitement. He put one of his legs on top of the chair, desperately trying to sit on it. But, the chair was too big for a small child like him. _

_Tenma pouted and he tried harder. But, he just can't get on top. Beside him, Tenma's mother smiled at her son's attempt. "You need some help, Tenma?" _

_The brunet shook his head, "No, I can do it myself!" Tenma's mother sighed; her son was stubborn to the core. She was about to approach him, when something caught her attention. _

_Tenma, on the other hand, was still struggling to sit on the chair. His attempts were in vain, but that didn't stop him. Suddenly, a pair of arms lifted him off the ground. Tenma gasped, and he looked behind him. The person who lifted him was none other than his father. _

_"Tenma, everyone needs help sometimes." he chuckled. Tenma pouted angrily at his father. "Mou, Dad! Next time, warn me when you're going to do that!" His father giggled and he put Tenma on top of the chair. _

_"There, now we can take a picture!" he said, while petting his son's hair. Tenma grinned, glad that he was finally able to sit on the chair. His father grinned as well. A few feet away from them, Tenma's mother smiled softly at her boys. _

"But that was a long time ago." Tenma said. He stood in front of the portrait, with his bangs covering his teary blue eyes. The brunet turned towards the woman in the portrait. His eyes softened, "Everything's changed since you left, Mom." Tenma stood there for a few more minutes, then he continued walking back to his room.

**~TTBHS~**

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

Karin knocked on the girl's door. She forgot to inform them that dinner's ready. In fact, she didn't tell them that there was dinner at all. Karin sighed at her own clumsiness, when Haruna opened the door slightly. "Yes?"

"Ah, Haruna-san. I'm so sorry for bothering you," Karin said politely. Haruna blinked, and then she fully opened the door. "Karin-san! No, it's perfectly fine! Come in." the advisor said. Karin nodded and she slowly walked inside.

Apparently, all of the girls already changed into their casual outfits. Aoi, who was folding her clothes, wore a cream short-sleeved shirt with sky-blue jean shorts. She also wore a blue flower necklace. Midori, who was busy watching the TV, wore a blue shirt with a white jacket. She also wore dark blue jeans. Akane, who was still taking pictures, wore a knee-length light pink dress. She also wore a pair of purple panty-house; similar to the one she usually wears. And, Haruna wore a white shirt with a cream cardigan. She also wore a pair of black leggings.

Haruna had closed the door when Aoi noticed Karin's arrival. She quickly folded her clothes and approached her. "Karin-san! What brings you here?" the manager asked.

Karin smiled nervously, "I'm sorry, girls. But, I forgot to tell you something." Midori blinked, she paused the TV and turned to Karin. "Tell us what?" she said from her beanbag chair.

"Dinner's ready."

The girls blinked, "Dinner?"

Karin nodded, "Yes, dinner. We're having them at the dining hall right now. Kenta will have the boys there too." Midori smiled widely. The red-haired girl turned off the TV and walked towards Karin.

"Thanks! I'm starving." she said while rubbing her stomach. Akane stopped taking pictures and approached Karin as well. "Me too." the chestnut-haired girl said, holding her pink camera.

Karin chuckled. Then she turned towards Aoi and Haruna, waiting for their approval. Haruna smiled and she looked at Aoi. "Shall we?" The latter nodded, agreeing with the soccer advisor.

"OK then, let's go. Please follow me." Karin turned towards the door. The girls looked at each other, nodded and followed Karin.

**~TTBHS~**

Meanwhile, the boys had just finished changing their clothes, all except for Endou. He insisted that he was comfortable with his current outfit. While he said that, the players were beginning to settle in the room. They put their clothes in the closet and their bags under their beds. Some of them even put their belongings on the bed stand.

"I still want Tenma to stay." Shinsuke pouted from his bed. Kariya, whose bed was beside him, heard his statement. "You already said that 6 times now, Shinsuke." The small defender turned his head lazily to Kariya.

"You counted?" The teal-haired defender shrugged. "It's hard not to," he sighed. "But, saying it over and over won't make Tenma stay." Shinsuke frowned and he lowered his head. "I know." he said with a sad tone.

Kariya stared at his friend. He felt sorry for Shinsuke, but feeling sad about it won't change a thing. Besides, it was Tenma's own decision. They just can't force him to stay. "Hey, at least we get to see him at dinner. Remember?" he reminded.

"Speaking of dinner," Endou said from afar. "Is everyone ready?" Shinsuke and Kariya blinked, they didn't expect Endou to hear their conversation. But, they nodded nonetheless. "Yes!" the other players replied. Endou nodded and went to push the button beside the bed.

*THUD*

"…"

"Huh?"

The boys were surprised. Nothing happened. No, they didn't expect Kenta to be here the second Endou pushed the button. But, the button didn't make a sound. The only thing that was heard was the sound of Endou's finger making contact with its surface.

"That's strange. Not a sound." Hikaru approached the button. He put his finger over it, but didn't push it. "Is it supposed to do that?" he turned towards the rest of the team. Everyone shrugged; they didn't know either. Shindou narrowed his eyes and inspected the button carefully. "Weird."

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

The second Shindou said that, there was a knock. Everyone in the room turned towards the door. "That's probably Kenta-san." Tsurugi stated calmly. Hamano blinked, "He's fast."

Since Kirino's bed was the closest to the door, he was the one who went to open it. The pink-haired defender opened the door slightly to see who knocked it. Once he saw a butler uniform from the outside, he fully opened the door. "We're ready, Kenta-san." he said.

The mentioned butler looked behind Kirino to scan the room. He was right, everyone already changed. Well, except for the coach at least. Kenta pushed his glasses up, "Endou-san, why didn't you change your clothes?" he asked sternly. Endou narrowed his eyes, "I'm comfortable with my current outfit." the brunet replied with his hands on his hips.

Kenta went silent and closed his eyes, "Very well," he turned to his right, "Everyone, please follow me." After that, he walked away from everyone's sight. Kariya gritted his teeth, "Tch, weird guy." He then, along with the others, went out of the room and followed Kenta.

**~TTBHS~**

"What are we having for dinner, Karin-san?" Aoi asked the maid. Karin smiled at her, "You'll know when we get there." Aoi pouted from her answer. "Eh~? Tell us now!" The maid giggled from the manager's childish reaction.

"To be honest, I don't know it myself." That surprised the girls, apparently. "Why not?" Akane said from behind her. Karin turned around to see the chestnut-haired girl. "There's no permanent menu here, Akane-san. Our chef makes it a surprise for us all the time. It makes dinner more fun, I guess." the maid grinned.

Midori looked impressed, "Really? Well, that does sound more fun." Akane turned towards her, "It really does, Midori-chan!" Haruna nodded beside her, "Yeah, I agree! Let's do that with the soccer club too, shall we?" Aoi smiled with excitement, "That's a great idea, Otonashi-san!" Karin chuckled; these girls were so energetic.

Karin turned to the front and realized something. She turned to her guests behind her, "Girls, we're here!"

**~TTBHS~**

On the other hand, the team was not as energetic. The air was so tense; it can be cut with a knife. Sure it's just for dinner but the adults were making the atmosphere uncomfortable.

Tsurugi glanced behind him. Endou was eyeing Kenta suspiciously. He then averted his glance to Kenta, whose expression was unreadable. But the navy-haired forward can tell that he was trying to ignore Endou.

Can't take this atmosphere any longer, Shindou walked a little faster to catch up with the butler. "How much longer, Kenta-san?" he asked beside him. Kenta offered Shindou smile, "We're almost there, Shindou-san," he pointed a finger to the front, "You can almost see it from here."

Shindou followed Kenta's line of sight. He narrowed his eyes to see the dining hall. The midfielder blinked when he saw a glimpse of the room. "You're right." Kenta's eyes softened and he turned around to the team behind him. "Everyone, we're almost there!"

Nishiki smiled widely, "Really? Great, I'm starving!" he said while rubbing his stomach. The seniors sweat-dropped at him. At the front, Hikaru then blinked. "Oh yeah!"

It seemed like he remembered something so he went to approach Kenta, "What's for dinner tonight, Kenta-san?" The butler didn't expect that question so he stared at him for a while. But he recovered quickly and then winked at the forward.

"You'll know it when you see it."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading 'till the very end! You can review if you want to, or send suggestions! See you next week! ^^<strong>


	6. The Dining Hall

**A/N: Here's the chapter guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. It was a week or two since the last chapter, huh? I'm SO SORRY! I was extremely busy with many things, I didn't have the time. I was planning to publish yesterday, but the site was too stubborn! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I, Lyra M. Rose, disclaim!**

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><p>Everyone walked forward to the end of the hallway. A bright white light greeted them when they got there.<p>

When their eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, everyone slowly opened their eyes. What they saw made them all speechless. They weren't in the hallway anymore; they're now inside a big room the looks of the furniture, this was the dining hall.

"W-Wow…"

The first thing everyone saw was the long table in the center of the room. 22 golden cream seats were placed around it -10 seats on the sides and 2 seats at the ends. A large white tablecloth covered the entire topside of the table. The tableware was set elegantly. There was a plate and a bowl; the bowl was placed on top of the plate along with a cream-colored napkin. On both sides of the plate, there were forks, knives and spoons. The knives and spoons were placed on the right while the forks were on the left.

Aoi smiled widely, "So beautiful!" Akane joined her, imaginary flowers blooming around her. "It's like we're inside a castle!"

Shinsuke heard the two managers. He stopped gazing at the table and turned to their direction. The small defender waved his hand at them, "Aoi-chan!"

The manager heard him and waved back. "Shinsuke!" The team heard them and turned towards the girls. The girls also heard them and turned to the boys. This was the first time they saw each other after they separated to their rooms. Apparently, they were too busy admiring the room that they forgot to pay attention to the people around them.

"Midori, you're not wearing a dress? How shameful for a girl!"

"H-Hey! I can dress however I want! At least I don't look like you, Nishiki!"

"Shin-sama, you're so handsome!"

"T-Thank you, Akane-san. You look nice, too."

"Eh? Coach Endou, you didn't change your clothes?"

"I'm comfortable with this."

Aoi eyed the team. Everyone was present, except for one. The manager blinked. She thought that he was supposed to be with them. "Shinsuke, where's Tenma?"

Shinsuke's shoulders slumped slightly and he frowned. "He said he's going to sleep in his own room."

Aoi tilted her head. "Really?" she asked. The defender nodded. "Even though this is his house, he should sleep with us," Shinsuke sighed. "We are friends, after all."

Aoi felt sorry for Shinsuke he looked so sad. "But, he's still having dinner with us, right?"

Kariya heard them and walked over. "Yep," he said. "But, he's not here yet." Hikaru also joins in the conversation. "He should be here soon."

That caught Tsurugi and Shindou's attention. Even though they were a few feet away, they heard what Hikaru said perfectly. The duo quickly scanned the room, searching for the brunet. But, he was nowhere to be found.

Tsurugi and Shindou looked at each other and nodded. Then they approached Kenta, who stayed behind the group. "Kenta-san." Tsurugi said. Kenta turned to him, "What?"

Shindou stepped forward. "Where's Tenma? He should be here now." Kenta sighed. "The distance between Tenma-sama's room and this dining hall is pretty far," The butler pushed his glasses up. "It'll take him a while to get here."

Tsurugi and Shindou frowned. "I see." Kenta looked at them with pity. "But please don't worry!" he said. "Tenma-sama will be here soon. He never misses din-"

"Guys!" Everyone halted when they heard that voice. That voice could only belong to one person. With that in mind, everyone turned around. They saw that person, Tenma, standing in front of the same hallway the boys took. Kenta chuckled."See?"

Tenma was wearing his casual clothes, which was a green shirt with a white jacket. He also wore dark blue jeans. Shinsuke beamed brightly and ran to the brunet, "Tenma! You're here!"

Tenma laughed. "Sorry I'm late. My room's a little far from here." Kenta approached the brunet. "No, Tenma-sama. You're just in time," He turned to everyone in the room. "Everyone, please take a seat! Dinner will be served shortly."

Both Kenta and Karin left for the kitchen after that. They exited the room and went into the hallway the girls took. When they left, everyone was about to pick a seat.

Tenma decided to sit on the first seat at the left side. Shinsuke, naturally, sat beside him, along with Kariya and Hikaru. The managers sat alongside them as well. Kurama, Hamano and Hayami occupied the rest of the seats.

On the right side, Tsurugi sat across Tenma while Shindou sat across Shinsuke. Of course, Kirino sat next to his best friend. Sangoku, Amagi and Kurumada settled down next to them. Nishiki, Ichino and Aoyama took the remaining seats. Endou decided to sit on the edge, while Haruna sat beside Aoyama. Every seat was full, except for one.

"Tenma, shouldn't you sit there?" Shinsuke pointed at the empty seat at the edge. Tenma looked at him, "What? Why should I?" The small defender just shrugged. "Well, this is your house. I thought it was appropriate." Tenma smiled at his answer, "I see." Then, he averted his gaze to the seat. The brunet stared at it sadly. That worried Shinsuke. "Tenma?"

The mentioned midfielder shook his head, "Nah, Shinsuke. I'd rather sit here," Tenma turned away from the chair and smiled at his best friend. "Besides, that's my father's seat." He added. A few chairs away, Hikaru heard what Tenma said. "Oh yeah, Tenma." He moved forward slightly so that he could see the brunet.

Tenma tilted his head. "What is it, Hikaru?"

"Where's your father, anyway? Is he here?"

That caught the brunet off guard. He didn't answer right away. The mere mention of 'father' managed to bring back horrible past memories to the brunet.

'_Don't you dare call me that!'_

'_You're the one who should've died, not her!'_

'_It was your fault…__**IT WAS YOUR FAULT!**__'_

'_Get out of my sight, you useless scum!'_

'_**GO!'**_

"Tenma?" Tenma blinked. He saw that everyone was looking at him, clearly worried. "Guys, what's wrong?"

"You looked really scared just now." Shindou replied. "Are you okay?"

Tenma's eyes widened slightly. He frowned and mentally cursed himself.

_Damn it! _

At that moment, everyone could see the fear on his blue eyes. The fear Tenma never showed. The fear he always hid from them. No one had ever seen that much fear on Tenma's eyes. But right now, they could see it crystal clear.

But that fear disappeared as soon as it came. Tenma quickly regained his composure and put on a smile. "Pfft, scared?" he chuckled. "You probably saw it wrong."

No one responded; Tenma's fearful eyes were still in their minds. Shinsuke shook his head. "But it's true!" Tenma answered by petting the small defender's head.

"Are you sure? It wasn't your imagination?" he asked calmly. Shinsuke pouted and desperately tried to stop him. "No! I'm sure!"

Shindou narrowed his eyes. _'He's good at dealing the situation.'_ He midfielder stared sadly at Tenma, _'He must have practiced that a lot.'_

"Stop fooling around, Tenma." Tsurugi scolded. Shindou tilted his head to the forward. Tenma stopped petting Shinsuke's hair and focused his attention to him. "I'm not."

Tsurugi didn't look impressed. "We all saw you. You were scared."

Tenma raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?" he crossed his arms, "What proof do you have?"

Tsurugi narrowed his eyes. That was…actually something even he can't answer. He silently gritted his teeth. The forward had to admit it; Tenma's pretty smart. He knew they didn't have proof. Of course they didn't, who would record or take a picture of someone who seemed so scared?

Tsurugi was about to say something back when Kenta and Karin suddenly walked in. Maids and butlers appeared behind them, pushing carts filled with delicious meals.

"Everyone, dinner's ready!"

Tsurugi silently glared daggers at them both. But, the butler and maid were oblivious of his annoyed glare. Either that, or they just ignored him and the imaginary daggers.

Tsurugi closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them after several seconds. The forward narrowed his eyes at the person in front of him. He was currently busy talking to Kenta.

But eventually that person, Tenma, noticed his stare. He tilted his head, slightly confused at why he was staring at him like that.

"What is it, Tsurugi?" he whispered.

Now, Tsurugi practically glared at him. "This conversation's not over, got it?" he whispered back. At first, Tenma was quiet. Confusion was clearly visible on his face. But then, he smiled sheepishly at him.

_No._

_I don't want to talk about it. _

_Not anymore._

_Please._

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry it's shorter than the previous chapter. If you want to give me suggestions or critics or opinions, just click the 'Review' button below. OR you can PM (Private Messaging) me. To do that, just click my username and you'll know from there. The reason I'm telling you all this is because when I started out, I had no idea what's a 'PM' and how to do it. I hope this is helpful in a way! **


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